Young EntrepreneurMichael Magnotto

Tell us something about yourself that isn’t apparent from your academic records--something that will give us insight about you as an individual.

Throughout my younger years, wearing a blazer, collared shirt, and nice pants to preschool always set me apart from my classmates. As I got older, selling pencils to kids who needed them right before a test sparked my business interest. That business model then quickly led to my interest in the website eBay (very new at the time), which promised more ways to expand my bank account.

When my parents allowed me to stay home alone for the first time in my early teenage years, they said to me, “Michael, please do not sell the house on eBay while we are gone.” They said that for a very good reason: I was selling nearly everything I had -- games, toys, anything -- on eBay. Jokingly, my response was, “At least I won’t burn the house down like most kids.” My parents did not see the humor in my statement. My first sale in grade school was simple and easy: a single video game. It inspired me to start my own eBay company. At the age of fourteen, I already had a stellar eBay business record, having completed deals and transferred funds to and from the Far East. My rapidly developing business acumen made me unlike any other young teenager. I had already sold memorabilia from my recent childhood: X-Boxes, PlayStations, stereo systems, and tons...